- Machlolophus spilonotus
Identification
14–15·5 cm
- Black crown and long pointed crest
- Black eye line
- Black broad band from chin to vent
- Yellow line over each eye
- Yellow patch on hind neck, cheeks and sides of body
- Greenish-yellow upperparts
- Black wings and tail
- Dark brown iris
- Black bill
- Slate blue legs
Distribution
Asia: China, Tibet, Nepal
South Asia: India, Eastern and Western Himalayas, Bhutan, Japan, Hong Kong
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand
Taxonomy
Formerly placed in the genus Parus.
Subspeies
There are 4 subspeies[1]:
- M. s. spilonotus:
- M. s. subviridis:
- M. s. rex:
- Southern China to north-western Vietnam and north-eastern Laos
- M. s. basileus:
- Southern Laos (Bolavens Plateau) and southern Vietnam (southern Annam)
Habitat
Temperate and cloud forests, deciduous and mixed with oak and pine. Observed at heights around 1000 m.
Behaviour
Arboreal.
Diet
Their diet is not too well recorded, but consists of insects, larvae, buds and berries.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved April 2015)
- BF Memember observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2021) Yellow-cheeked Tit. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 29 April 2021 from https://www.birdforum.net/wiki/Yellow-cheeked_Tit
